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Do not meddle with anything that does not belong to you, but mind
your own business. Tenskwatawa
Shawnee Putting out of
our minds the wrongs others had done, we resolutely looked for our own
mistakes. Where had we been selfish, dishonest, self-seeking and
frightened? Though a situation had not been entirely our fault, we tried
to disregard the other person entirely. Where were we to blame? The
inventory was ours, not the other man's. Big Book
pg. 67 Reprinted with
permission A.A.W.S. Every time a
person imposes his instincts unreasonably upon others, unhappiness
follows. If the pursuit of wealth tramples upon people who happen to be in
the way, then anger, jealousy, and revenge are likely to be aroused. If
sex runs riot, there is a similar uproar. Demands made upon other people
for too much attention, protection, and love can only invite domination or
revulsion in the protectors themselves--two emotions quite as unhealthy as
the demands which evoked them. When an individual's desire for prestige
becomes uncontrollable, whether in the sewing circle or at the
international conference table, other people suffer and often revolt. This
collision of instincts can produce anything from a cold snub to a blazing
revolution. In these ways we are set in conflict not only with ourselves,
but with other people who have instincts,
too. Twelve Steps
& Twelve Traditions pg. 44 Reprinted with
permission A.A.W.S. Creator help me
to keep my feet on my path. |